OREANDA-NEWS. February 21, 2008. The government of Belarus is set to consider whether there is any sense to set up a syringe needle manufacturing facility in Belarus, Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky told reporters in Gomel. The head of government attended a ceremony to unveil 10ml and 20ml disposable syringe manufacture at Medplast company.

In August 2007, Medplast launched the production of 2ml and 5ml syringes. With new capacities commissioned, the demand of medical institutions of Belarus which is estimated at 180 million will be met in full. The level of quality meets international standards. To make the products even more competitive, Medpalst plans to start sterilizing the goods for medical application. For the time being syringes are sterilized in Minsk and in Russia.

Thus, a closed cycle of syringe manufacture will be created at the company. It is only syringe needles that the country will have to import. They are purchased in Japan. The price of needles accounts for approximately 17% of the cost of a syringe. Therefore there is a need to estimate what is more beneficial - to purchase them or to establish own production, Sergei Sidorsky said.

Such companies are profit-making if the output is at least 2 billion needles per year. Medplast demand is around 200 million, the Prime Minister said.